Dutch designers are currently creating quite a stir on the international scene. What is the secret of their success? In How They Work photographer Inga Powilleit and stylist Tatjana Quax examine the working methods of seventeen designers, as well as the typically Dutch approach which has made them world-famous: a fanatical attitude towards work, a healthy lack of respect for convention, and a determination to go their own way. How They Work consists of portraits of the very top of the Dutch design world, which offer readers an honest and revealing look behind the scenes.

How They Work — The Hidden World of Dutch Design, by Inga Powilleit, Tatjana Quax,
224 pages, hardcover. Publisher: 010

Recreating lightness with the synergy of different materials is the main theme of this book. It deals with smart combinations of fibres and plastics, with creating efficient shapes and freezing textiles. Lightness contains many examples, good as well as bad. They can be found in industrial design, architecture, bridge constructions, sports equipment and vehicle technology. Among them are a small airplane, a cooling trailer, a bicycle and even a flexible beer container. It will be difficult not to be inspired by what you will read and see.

Every now and again an unexpected publication arrives like a fresh breeze amid the dense and tediously repetitive undergrowth of architectural titles, an inspired piece of publishing capable perhaps of sparking some new discussion around a familiar subject.- Ingerid Helsing Almaas in Architectural Review

The seminal architecture journal re-printed as it appeared in its original form

The first part (1945-1954) of the facsimile edition of John Entenza’s groundbreaking magazine, which launched the Case Study House Program; in ten boxes, each containing one year’s worth of magazines

From the end of World War II until the mid-1960s, exciting things were happening in American architecture: emerging talents were focusing on innovative projects that infused low-cost materials and modern design. This trend was most notably incarnated in the famous Case Study House Program, which was championed by the era’s leading American journal, Arts & Architecture. Focusing not only on architecture but also design, art, music, politics, and social issues, A&A was an ambitious and groundbreaking publication, largely thanks to the inspiration of John Entenza, who ran the magazine for over two decades until David Travers became publisher in 1962. The era’s greatest architects were featured in A&A, including Neutra, Schindler, Saarinen, Ellwood, Lautner, Eames, and Koenig; and two of today’s most wildly successful architects, Frank Gehry and Richard Meier, had their debuts in its pages. A&A was instrumental in putting American architecture—and in particular California Modernism—on the map.

Originally from Vienna, Richard Neutra came to America early in his career, settling in California. His influence on post-war architecture is undisputed, the sunny climate and rich landscape being particularly suited to his cool, sleek modern style.Neutra had a keen appreciation for the relationship between people and nature; his trademark plate glass walls and ceilings which turn into deep overhangs have the effect of connecting the indoors with the outdoors. Neutra’s ability to incorporate technology, aesthetic, science, and nature into his designs brought him to the forefront of Modernist architecture.

“In architecture, there is a part that is the result of logical reasoning and a part that is created through the senses. There is always a point where they clash. I don’t think architecture can be created without that collision.” -Tadao Ando

Philippe Starck describes him as a “mystic in a country which is no longer mystic.” Philip Drew calls his buildings “land art” that “struggle to emerge from the earth.” He is the only architect to have won the discipline’s four most prestigious prizes: the Pritzker, Carlsberg, Praemium Imperiale, and Kyoto Prize. His name is Tadao Ando, and he is the world’s greatest living architect. Combining influences from Japanese tradition with the best of Modernism, Ando has developed a completely unique building aesthetic that makes use of concrete, wood, water, light, space, and nature in a way that has never been witnessed in architecture.

Rolf Fehlbaum, chairman of the family company Vitra, describes the aim of this book in the following way: “We talk about this as a project, because for all those involved it is much more important than simply business. …The Vitra Design Museum with its collections, archives and miniatures is just as much part of the project as the classics of the twentieth century and the interior collages which we have developed in recent years. …we also simultaneously move forwards and backwards in time. We preserve the heritage of our classics in new editions, exhibitions and publications, but we are also actively involved in contemporary design. And we are no less interested in ergonomics, ecology, logistics and quality assurance than we are in the anthropology of everyday living.”

The Case Study House program (1945-66) was an exceptional, innovative event in the history of American architecture and remains to this day unique. The program, which concentrated on the Los Angeles area and oversaw the design of 36 prototype homes, sought to make available plans for modern residences that could be easily and cheaply constructed during the postwar building boom.

The program’s chief motivating force was Arts & Architecture editor John Entenza, a champion of modernism who had all the right connections to attract some of architecture’s greatest talents, such as Richard Neutra, Charles and Ray Eames, and Eero Saarinen. Highly experimental, the program generated houses that were designed to re-define the modern home, and thus had a pronounced influence on architecture – American and international – both during the program’s existence and even to this day.

“It’s a huge coffee-table (make that a banqueting-table) book, which analyses each of the houses in chronological order, with plans, sketches and glorious photographs.”The Observer Life Magazine, United Kingdom

Window shopping
In postwar America, everything pointed to a bright, shiny future. Sheer optimism and opulence informed everything from automobile design to architecture, infusing design with larger-than-life planes and curves. Storefront design of the era is particularly indicative of this phenomenon, incarnated here in an extensive collection of hand-illustrated shop window designs from 1938 to 1950. These spectacular, often grandiose plans for grocery stores, shoe shops, beauty salons, bakeries, and more are reminders of a time when stores were sacred shrines for the congregation of American shoppers—impressive and even slightly intimidating, just like the future itself. In addition to an extensive selection of drawings are historical black and white photographs of actual shops built in a similar style.

Unlike most architecture encyclopedias, which tend to concentrate more on buildings and floor plans than their designers, this tome puts the architects in the spotlight, profiling individuals so that readers can get a clear overview of their bodies of work. Each architect’s entry features a portrait, quote, and short biography as well as a description of important works, historical context, and general approach; illustrations include numerous drawings, photographs, and floor plans. The book’s A to Z entries cover not only architects but also groups, movements, and styles from the 18th to the 21st centuries. With 600 entries and 5,200 illustrations, The A–Z of Modern Architecture is a comprehensive resource that no architecture professional, fan, or student should be without.

The A-Z of Modern Architecture, Hardcover, 2 Vol. in Box, 1072 pages, Edited by Peter Gössel

It is the first definitive illustrated sourcebook on the evolution of design to include such a wide scope of objects in detail. From cars to furniture, from tableware to cameras, from everyday objects to airplanes, this breadth of design has never before been collected in such a way before.

“A guide to better living through design.” - Aaron Betsky, Designer.

“The ultimate tool kit to decode the modern world. Hugely thorough, and just the right side of quirky.” - Deyan Sudjic, Curator and Critic

Editor's Picks

Studioilse w084t Task LampA dimmable table lamp constructed of iron for its feelings of stability, reliability, trust; wood with its warmth and life, and porcelain for its intimate glow. [more...]

Suggested Reading

The Story of Eames Furniture
Brimming with images and insightful text, this unique book is the benchmark reference on what is arguably the most influential and important furniture brand of our time. [more...]
Buy it here: Amazon

The Guggenheim: Frank Lloyd Wright and the Making of the Modern Museum
First-ever book to explore the process behind one of the greatest modern buildings in America. [more...]
Buy it here: Amazon

MoonFire: The Epic Journey of Apollo 11
A unique tribute to the defining scientific mission of our time, the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing. [more...]
Buy it here: Amazon

Cars
Freedom Style Sex Power Motion Colour Everything. This lavish and beautifully designed book is the gift book for all car enthusiasts and design aficionados. [more...]
Buy it here: Amazon

Design Icons

Diz Armchair by Sergio RodriguesHandcrafted from solid eucalyptus this Brazilian classic is designed with soothing smooth edges, making it one of the most comfortable and laid-back lounge chairs around. [more...]

Resources

More Books

Case Study Houses
“It’s a huge coffee-table book, which analyses each of the houses in chronological order, with plans, sketches and glorious photographs.” [more...]
Buy it here: Amazon

The Eames Lounge Chair
The book examines the evolution of a design icon and places it in its cultural, historical and social context. [more...]
Buy it here: Amazon

The U.N. Building
Symbol of world humanitarianism, a beacon of unity after the Second World War. More than 50 years on, the 39-story building is regarded as one of the pinnacles of mid-century modernism. [more...]
Buy it here: Amazon

Loblolly House
Including a DVD of the film "A House in the Trees", a real-time documentary of the design, fabrication, and assembly of this amazing house. [more...]
Buy it here: Amazon

Desire
The Shape of Things to Come. An up-to-date comprehensive survey on furniture and object design today, showcasing the crème de la crème of designers. [more...]
Buy it here: Amazon

Marcel Wanders
Behind the Ceiling is the first monograph on one of the most influential, prolific and celebrated international designers today. [more...]
Buy it here: Amazon

How to Wrap Five Eggs
A mid-60s classic of Japanese design. Stunningly laid-out paean to traditional Japanese packaging is rife with sumptuous black and white photos of all manner of boxes, wrappers and containers that appear at once homely and sophisticated, ingeniously utilitarian yet fine and rare. [more...]
Buy it here: Amazon